Fish Oils and Obesity

Fish oil -- whether from fatty fish or dietary supplements in the form of capsules or liquid oil -- has long been touted for amazing health benefits. However, conclusive proof of the effects of fish oil from research has yet to catch up to the sensational headlines. To date, scientists know that fish oil improves several problems related to obesity, but by itself, it won't cause you to lose significant amounts of weight.

Health Effects

Fish oil contains important, heart-healthy fats, called omega-3 fatty acids, which your body needs but can't make on its own. These include docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, and eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA. You can get DHA and EPA naturally by eating fatty fish like mackerel, tuna, salmon, mullet, bluefish, anchovy, sardines, herring and trout. Or you can get it from supplements sold in health food stores. Fish oil has been used for a wide range of conditions, and researchers are studying its benefits for weight loss and obesity. Fish oil improves a number of functions related to cardiovascular disease. For example, fish oil may improve endothelial function, or the dilation and constriction of your blood vessels. People who are overweight are at increased risk of endothelial dysfunction, a hallmark of cardiovascular disease. MedlinePlus says it also helps with brain function and conditions related to aging and the female reproductive system.

Obesity and Fatty Acids

In the April 2010 "Journal of Lipid Research" French researchers concluded that getting too much omega-6 fatty acid, found in corn-based oils, along with getting too little omega-3 fatty acids, can increase obesity. It was the imbalance of the two sources of essential fats that they said had passed obesity down through generations in those who eat typical Western diets. The research showed this imbalance causes a gradual increase in fat mass. Improving levels of omega-3s, in proportion to omega-6s, could help in reversing the trend.

Fish Oil and Weight Loss

According to MedlinePlus, getting fish oil by eating fish improves weight loss and decreases blood sugar in people who are overweight and have high blood pressure. In addition, MedlinePlus cites research that says taking a fish oil supplement equal to 260 mg DHA and 60 mg EPA lowers body fat. More recent research has produced conflicting results about the effectiveness of fish oil in helping you lose weight. In a study of obese men given fish oil for six weeks, researchers noted that the fish oil reduced the amount of triglycerides floating in their bodies following a meal, but the fat-related benefits found at the end of the study, and published in the December 2007 "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," were strictly due to weight loss, not taking fish oil. Similar results came from a group of obese young adults in a study published a year later in the "International Journal of Obesity." However, an earlier study by the latter journal showed that a group of 324 overweight people aged 20 to 40 who got their fish oil from eating fatty fish lost a modest 2.2 more pounds than the control group, which ate a regular reduced calorie diet.

Bottom Line

Fish oil will probably not cause you to lose enough weight to resolve obesity. However, taking fish oil, along with losing weight through improved diet and exercise, provides many heart health protections. These include improved blood pressure and cholesterol profile; diabetes complications like urine protein levels; reduced risk of heart attack; and reduced risk of death from heart disease.

Fish Oils and Obesity

Health Effects

Obesity and Fatty Acids

Fish Oil and Weight Loss

Bottom Line

References

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